An estimated 70,000 people converged on the Nevada desert this past week for the annual Burning Man festival, a self-described "crucible of creativity" in which artists and radicals express themselves in surprising ways. Seeing the festival's stunning creations and meeting the avant-garde free spirits who created them can make for a unique journey into the surreal. Here's what it looked like this year. Photos by Scott London.

Burning Man takes place in a temporary city in the heart of the Black Rock Desert — a sun-ravaged place subject to extreme temperatures, fierce winds, and choking dust storms. This year, participants at the event experienced their fair share of all three.

Scott London

City on the Plains

Burning Man takes place in a temporary city in the heart of the Black Rock Desert — a sun-ravaged place subject to extreme temperatures, fierce winds and choking dust storms. This year, participants at the event experienced their fair share of all three.

Hang Loose

Jaw Dance

One of the scarier sights on the playa in 2015 — especially if you happened to be searching for a landmark in a full-on dust storm — was "Illumacanth," a metal sea monster created by Bay Area artist Rebecca Anders

Neon Gazing

For those seeking refuge from blaring art cars and thumping sound camps, there was always "Firmament," an installation by Bay Area artist Christopher Schardt featuring an LED lightshow set to the soothing sounds of classical music.

Fishmobile

Artist Michael Garlington described his "Totem of Confessions" installation as a tower of mystery overlooking other worlds "and enshrouding a thousand hidden treasures." It was ceremoniously burned to the ground on Saturday night.